St Joseph’s Parish News
First Sunday of Lent
Year B
22nd February 2015
Readings are on page 148 of the Parish Mass Book
020 8402 0459 | [email protected] | www.stjosephsbromley.org
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Saturdays: 11 am-12 noon & 5.00-5.45 pm or on request.
Desk of the Parish Priest
‘Lent: a time of “Turning and Learning”
On Ash Wednesday Catholics come to church in
great numbers. They have a deep desire to be
marked with Ashes on their forehead and hear the
priest say “Remember that you are dust and into
dust you shall return”.
These words echo the story of the creation of Adam
“God fashioned man from the dust of the ground
and blew the breath of life into his nostrils”. (Indeed
the name Adam means dust of the earth). With
every breath we welcome the life giving breath of
God. We are not self made and ego directed. We
are God shaped in his own image and Spirit
directed.
It is the same Spirit that drives Jesus, the new
Adam, into the desert where he fasted for forty days
and was tempted to be ego led rather than be
guided by the Spirit deep within his being. During
the forty days of Lent we are invited to keep
company with Jesus—to draw near to him. He says
‘”learn from me. I am gentle and humble in heart
and you will find rest for your soul”.
In a troubled world and in a life that is full of stress
there is little time or mental space to draw a breath
and reflect. During Lent we can take time and
space to do just that—to connect with our soul, our
true self and draw on the life giving breath of God’s
presence. Try one or more of the following. Act
alone or as a family: Set aside 3, 10 or 15 minutes.
Perhaps light a candle. Maybe read a few verses
from the Wednesday Word. Reflect, Pray. Claim
time on the train, or at lunch break. Use online
resources.
What matters is that day by day we try to become
the kind of person that Jesus wants us to be as we
keep company with him.
Fr. Tom
MASS TIMES AND INTENTION
Psalter Week 1
Saturday 21st February
6.00 pm
Gerald Crowe RIP (Doran)
Sunday 22nd February First Sunday of Lent
8.00 am
Mrs Kathleen Cunniffe RIP
9.15 am
UCM
11.00 am
Int. Mary Shiels (Dillane)
5.00 pm
Rupert & Rita Anthony RIP (Volry)
Monday23rd February
7.30 am*
Sr. Abel RIP
10.00 am
Brid Moran RIP (Lohan)
Tuesday 24th February
8.45 am
Florence Sloan RIP (Jones)
10.00 am
Michael Hollowed RIP (French)
Wednesday 25th February
10.00am
James Kandankavil RIP
Thursday 26th February
7.30 am*
Sr. Marie Louise RIP
10.00 am
Bill McConnell RIP
Friday 27th February
10.00 am
Annie Lowery RIP
11.00 am
Mass at St. Raphael’s
7.30 pm
Stations of the Cross
8.00 pm
Holy Mass
8.30 pm
Syro Malabar Stations of the Cross
Saturday 28th February
10.00 am
Int. Deirdre Loughran
(Loughran-Biggs)
6.00 pm
Patrick Grant RIP (Margiotta)
Sunday 1st March Second Sunday of Lent
8.00 am
People of the Parish
9.15 am
Maria Roses RIP (Heys)
11.00 am
Deceased Family of Ros Bray
2.00 pm
Baptisms: Hannah Booker,
Orlaith Owen, Walker Beaumont,
Luca Thompson and
Josephine Skinner
5.00 pm
Jude McCarthy RIP (O’Sullivan)
*7.30am Masses will be held in Holy Trinity Chapel
Lent Retreat Time Out on Monday 23rd
February at 7.45 for 8.00-9.30pm in the
church hall. The Retreat will be led by Fr.
John Mulligan who led the day on the Joy of the
Gospel. With prayer and short reflection led by
Fr. Saju. See posters in foyer and outside
cabinet.
Lent 2015 - Daily Reflections. Please see:

Our new website

http://www.lentreflections.com/lent-day-1back-to-basics/

BestLentEver.com
Our Parish Faith Formation
Baptism Preparation Session 4 will be held
today following the 9.15am Mass in the Upper
Room.
First Holy Communion Preparation Session 3
will be held on Tuesday 24th February at 6.30pm
in the upper room, Saturday 28th February at
8.45am in the upper room and Sunday 1st
March at 10.30am in the upper room and Holy
Trinity Convent.
Confirmation Session 8 to be held on Saturday
28th February at 3.30pm in the Hall.
Journey in Faith—Rite of Election 6 people from
our Journey in Faith Group were called by name
yesterday as they stood, with members of our
parish community, before the Archbishop in St
George’s Cathedral. Please keep them in your
prayers as they continue their preparation to be
received into full communion with the Church
The Journey in Faith Group will join the Lent
Retreat Time Out in the hall on Monday 23rd
February at 7.45 for 8.00pm.
Parish Consolation Group - Thursday 26th
February from 4.30-5.30pm in the Sanctuary of
the Upper Room. It may be some years after your
bereavement before you feel the need or are able
to share the experience. Do not let the length of
time prevent you from joining us. You will receive
a warm For more information please contact Mary
Crosby or the Parish Office.
Family Groups There will be talks at each Mass
on the weekend of 28th February and 1st March.
Parish News
Lenten Groups. Many people have been
excited by Matthew Kelly’s book Rediscovering
Catholicism. If you would like to be part of a
Lenten Group or form one of your own please
contact the parish office for a copy of the
study guide. Fr. Tom
New Parish website: The St Joseph’s Roman
Catholic Parish website has relaunched. The
new site has an updated design and clearer
navigation, making it easier for you to find
information about the Sacraments, Parish groups
and our other parish activities. The website also
includes a news page, key dates listing and a
blog section, as well as our Twitter feed. The
website can be visited at the same web address
as the old website: www.stjosephsbromley.org. If
you would like to contribute a blog entry for our
Reflections page, email Rob Jones
at [email protected]
Calling all choir members and aspiring
singers and/or musicians to a Music Workshop
7.30-9.30 in Upper Room Friday 6th March led
by Mag Shepherd a member of the Diocesan
Liturgy Commission’s Music Committee—no
experience needed just a love of singing and
making music.
A Seniors’ Lunch will take place at The Toby,
Bromley Common on Monday 23rd February at
12.30pm. Please call Gina on 020 8464 3742 by
Sunday evening if you would like to attend.
The Cafod Group are meeting at 8.00pm on
Monday 23rd February in the Skip Appleton
Room. New members very welcome.
We are holding the Women’s World Day of
Prayer at St. Joseph’s on Friday 6th March at
10.30am. The service has been prepared by the
women of the Bahamas and the theme is ‘Jesus
washing the disciples’ feet’. Everyone is
welcome. Refreshments served afterwards in
Holy Trinity Convent. Please support this event.
St. Edmunds Parish Pilgrimages to Lourdes
Monday, 25th May - Friday, 29th May.
Will be led by their Parish Priest Canon Jack and
Deacon Seán. Please phone Roy on 020 8650
6281. Full details on notice board in foyer.
Mission & Outreach
MARRIAGE MATTERS
(www.twoinoneflesh.org.uk)
‘Wilderness’ can be a reality in our marriage
relationship at times, a kind of ‘desert
experience’: hungering for a gentle touch or
return of the closeness in our relationship. Yet,
we can look back on such times and recognise
the Spirit was at work. God’s grace was in our
yearning, calling us to choose life and turn away
from self-indulgence.
Cafod Fast Day: Friday 27th February. Storms,
droughts and floods are having a devastating
impact on our poorest brothers and sisters around
the world.
Cafod works with local expert
organisations to ensure affected people are not
only able to survive but to thrive. Fast Days are
opportunities to support that vital work.
A Fast Day envelope is attached to this
Newsletter. A second collection will be taken
at all Masses next weekend. Please give as
much as you can, so that long-term, deep-rooted
devastation from extreme weather doesn’t become
a fact of life. The UK Government has promised to
match every pound and penny you give this Lent
up to the value of £3.5M. Thank you.
Please
pick up a prayer card from the foyer.
Churches Together in Central Bromley Lent
Course for 2015 will be held at Trinity United
Reformed Church, Freelands Road at 8.00pm on
the following Tuesdays: 24th February, 3rd, 10th,
17th and 24th March. All welcome. See poster in
outside cabinet.
Dementia and Disability. A day of study and
reflection. To be held on Saturday 14th March
from 2.00-5.30pm at Our Lady of the Crays, 312
High Street, St Mary Cray BR5 4AR. For more
information contact the Centre for Catholic
Formation on 020 8672 7684 or email:
[email protected]
The St. John’s Lent Lecture 2015—God and
Disaster. Are natural disasters Acts of God.?
Lecture by Professor Bob White on Sunday 1st
March at 7.30pm at St. John’s Church, Park Road.
Admission free. See poster in outside cabinet..
Thank you to all those who continue to donate
to the Bromley Foodbank. All items are gratefully
received. Please leave any further donations in the
box in the porch of the presbytery. Thank you.
Youth Ministry
Flame 2—The biggest Catholic Youth Event in
the country. To be held at Wembley Arena on
Saturday 7th March 2015 from 11.00am to 5.30pm.
Suitable for those in Year 10 to young adult. For
more information and to book your place please
contact the parish office.
Miscellaneous
Vacancy for Year 2 Teacher at Virgo Prep
School, 147 Central Hill SE19 1RS. For further
details see poster in outside cabinet or contact
Miriam Morris at [email protected] or ring 020
8653 2169.
Vacancy at local Nursing Home for someone to
organise activities/entertainment for the
residents in the afternoons.
Time and hours
flexible. For further details please contact the
parish office.
An Oyster travel card was found in the church
after the 8.00am Mass last Sunday. Please
contact the parish office if you have mislaid this.
Fundraising Money found on church premises.
If you think you have mislaid this please contact
the parish office.
Question of the Week
Adult: When or how could you step away from
your daily responsibilities to renew yourself, so
that you can do a better job of following in the
footsteps of Jesus?
Child: What good habit could you work on during
Lent so you could grow closer to God?
PARISH FINANCES
We are the Parish and we all belong to God
Last Week: Total offering: £1298.00 and £435
was given for the Poor Parishes Fund (formerly
the Needs of the Diocese).
When making your will you may wish to
remember your Parish.
Diary for this week:
Sunday 22nd February
10.30 am
Baptism Prep. Session 4—UR
Monday 23rd February
12.30pm
Seniors’ Lunch—The Toby
5.30 pm
Brownies
7.45 for 8.00pm Lent Time Out—Hall
8.00 pm
Cafod Meeting—SAR
Thursday 26th February
4.30 pm
Consolation Group—UR
8.00pm
Christmas Fayre Wrap Up—UR
Friday 27th February
7.00 pm
Scouts—Hall
7.30 pm
Explorer Scouts—Club Room
Tuesday 24th February
10.30 am
Coffee in Club Room
6.30 pm
FHC Session 3—UR
Saturday 28th February
8.45 pm
FHC Session 3—UR
3.30 pm
Confirmation Session 8—Hall
Wednesday 25th February
8.00 pm
Meditation Group—UR
8.00 pm
Jubilee Prayer Group
Sunday 1st March
9.15 am
Children’s Liturgy
10.30 am
FHC Session 3—UR & HTC
3.45 pm
Baptism Prep Session 1—UR
Rosary: Daily at 10.30am
Parish Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: First three Fridays of each month from 7.30-8.30pm.
Malayalam Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Last Friday of each month from 7-8.30pm
Benediction on Saturday 10.30-11.00am
Baptism: Parents & Expectant Parents—please contact a Priest during Surgery. One month
preparation required.
Wedding: Please contact a Priest during Surgery. Six months notice required.
Presbytery & Parish Office
Presbytery: 1 Orchard Road, Bromley, BR1 2PR
Parish Pastoral Team
Fr. Tom
Fr. Saju
Fr. Cyriac Palakudy
Mary Crosby
Deacon Barry
Deacon Aidan
Tel: 020 8402 0459
Tel: 020 8402 0459
Tel.: 020 8402 0459
Tel: 07946 996759
Tel.: 07445 417335
Tel: 07747 036253
e: [email protected]
e: [email protected]
e: [email protected]
e: [email protected]
e: [email protected]
e: [email protected]
Parish Secretary: Susan Allatt 8.30am-1.00pm Monday-Friday
Tel.: 020 8402 0459
Twitter: @ParishStJosephs
Surgeries (at Presbytery: no appointment needed)
Monday: Fr. Saju 6-8pm Wednesday: Fr. Tom 5-7pm
St. Joseph’s School: Tel: 020 8460 1976 | Website: www.st-josephs.bromley.sch.uk
St. Joseph’s Playgroup Ltd: Monday to Friday in Church Hall. Enquiries please ring 07961 413694